Anyone know the model name of the drone used?
Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
31–40 of 279 posts
Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#32This is so great. My long term dream is that robotics take over farming, individually plucking each weed or weevil, and metering just the right amount of water for each individual plant, so that all the crops are organic.
Most of the chemicals (yes, including nitrogen fertilizers) offset labor, so when the labor is free we shouldn’t need them. And people won’t have to spend their lives in stoop-back work or exposed to toxic chemicals.
Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#33>> fly the drone with no physical effort and no direct exposure to pesticides—some of which have been associated with diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Slightly tangential, but what's the thinking here? We don't want to get it on us while spraying it, but then we'll eat it and it'll be fine?
Rice grows inside a husk. And, white so-called "polished" rice has the outer coat removed. So, insecticide/pesticide residue on the surface isn't such a big deal, even for brown rice.
Ingesting and breathing in the concentrations of insecticide associated with spraying is orders of magnitude worse risk to the farm worker and people around, than incidental food contact risk post production/packaging.
Many chemicals are also broken down in sunlight and water, or are absorbed into the rootstock, not the fruiting body.
(not an agronomist or food scientist. I too wondered at the Merryl Streep ad 30 years ago where she's washing broccoli with soap..)
Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#34>> fly the drone with no physical effort and no direct exposure to pesticides—some of which have been associated with diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Slightly tangential, but what's the thinking here? We don't want to get it on us while spraying it, but then we'll eat it and it'll be fine?
I'm pretty sure you will eat some, yes.
However, irrigation and the rice's own metabolism will remove some pesticide. And rice grains have a peel which is later removed, often after a drying process at somewhat high temperatures, which will further degrade "safe" pesticides.
This is just the best compromise we can make between labor cost (both financial and human; I have worked in rice crops and it is no joke) and safety, practically speaking. If I had to dream a better solution, I would have our crops grow in completely artificial environments out of planet, while tended by robots. Then insecticides wouldn't be needed, and genetic manipulation would be less of an issue. But, as they say, choose your dreams.
Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#35>> fly the drone with no physical effort and no direct exposure to pesticides—some of which have been associated with diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Slightly tangential, but what's the thinking here? We don't want to get it on us while spraying it, but then we'll eat it and it'll be fine?
Yes, that's the thinking.
To elaborate that thinking: when absorbed in the quantities experienced by a farm worker in this context, some pesticides can have irritant or toxic effects. They (or rather their application methods and cocktails) are designed not to permeate the food products of the plant, although some do with some foods and this is ongoing research. Farmers need to consistently produce healthy produce people can afford, and want to do as little harm as possible to people in the process.
Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#36Despite this optimism, I wonder what the tradeoffs are for the drone services. Does it actually spray pesticide as thoroughly as a worker manually applying it? Can it spread seed and fertilizer as well as someone who has tended the land for decades? Is there really a difference in quality of produce?
Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#37Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#38This is so great. My long term dream is that robotics take over farming, individually plucking each weed or weevil, and metering just the right amount of water for each individual plant, so that all the crops are organic. Most of the chemicals (yes, including nitrogen fertilizers) offset labor, so when the labor is free we shouldn’t need them. And people won’t have to spend their lives in stoop-back work or exposed t…
Out of curiosity how does nitrogen fertilizer offset labor?
Re: Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
#39Anyone know the model name of the drone used?
Looks like a DJI Agras model to me! Amusing considering the recent news regarding DJI being banned.